File box or case.



No. 689,076. Patented Dec. l7, mm.

w. s GRANGE.

FILE BOX 05 CASE.

(Application filed Apr. 10, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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YTLKXUC s s as @445; M79, fmzwm UNITED STATES Parent ries.

I WALLACE SUMNER GRANGE, OF MALTA, ILLINOIS.

FILE BOX OR CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent I\To. 689,076, dated December 17, 1 901. Application filed April 10, 1899. Serial No. 712,441. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALLACE SUMNER GRANGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Malta, in the county of Dekalb and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in File Boxes or Cases; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to file boxes or cases for holding papers or manuscripts, and has for its object more particularly to form a box or case of the character described in which the body portion will be formed preferably of cardboard or like material and the back will be formed of suitable stifi material, preferably of wood, which will have a transversely-extending slot formed in it at a distance back from the outer surface or face of the back, the back being also formed with an open recess in front of said slot, whereby a label to indicate the contents of the box or file may be inserted in said slot and when so inserted will stand back ,of the front or outer .face ofthe file-box back, and thus be propear, the invention consists in the construction and in the combination of parts hereinafter particularly described and then sought to be specifically defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in WlIllCh Figure 1 is a perspective of a file box or case constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the top or cover of the box as thrown open. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the file box or case placed in an inclined position, with its cover or top thrown back so as to form a support for the box; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the back of the box or case, showing the manner of forming the slot and recess for the label.

. Inthedrawingsthenumeralldesignatesthe body of the box or file-case, which preferably is formed of stiff cardboard or similar material and is provided with a top or cover 2, hinged to its upper edge by a flexible joint, and which when opened may be held in that position by the fastening 3.

The numeral 4 designates the back proper of the file box or case, which in this instance is illustrated as formed of wood, so as to afford a stiff, rigid, and durable back. This back 4 extends up to about a level with the top edge of the box or case and on its face next to the opening in the box has a portion cut away on an upward incline from the point a to the point b, so as to form a groove 5, adapted to receive the end of the top or cover next thereto when the cover is closed. The back is also formed with a slot 6, adapted to receive a label 7, of cardboard or similar material, which is inserted through the end of the slot and slid into position. A portion of the back in front of this recess is cut away, so as to form a recess 8, as illustrated,through which the label can be read from the front face of the back. By forming this slot and also this recess as described the label is caused to set back from the front face of the back, so that the overhanging portions or walls of the recess 8 will constitute a covering or shield for the label, and thus protect the same from injury or damage. By this construction the label is contained entirely within the backing to the rear of the front face thereof, so that the front face of the back. will be entirely free from any projection or protuberance, thus enabling the front face of the back to be uniform from end to end without any projection that would be liable toinjury or damage or that might be liable to do damage to a desk or table against which the back might be temporarily placed in the manipulation of the file box or case. This formation also enables the back to be formed entirely of wood, which may be given any finish desired, thus imparting greater strength and life to the file box or case than would be IOO of a suitable filling 9, which will close the kerf and make the upper portion of the back appear as solid as the lower portion.

A file box or case made as described can be furnished complete to the purchaser with a number of detached labelcards printed with different matter, so that the user may place in the back of the box any label-card desired, and when the box is filled the same may be stored away and be replaced by another for current papers. By forming the slot and recess described for the label-card the file box or case can also be packed more compactly for shipment or transportation than where label-holders are affixed tothe outside and form projections beyond the face of the box.

I have mentioned some of the advantages of this construction; but other advantages will occur to those who have occasion to use a file box or case such as I have described.

I am aware that it is old to cut away a portion of the body of a trunk and also a portion of the body of a file-case to form a cardreceiving recess, and also to form label-holders by cutting and pressing into shape a metal portion of a file-box, and I lay no claim, broadly, to any such construction. Under my construction I am able to very materially cheapen the cost of manufacturing a file-box with a card-receiving index by forming a solid end back for the box and cutting a kerf in the same from the top downwardly, which can be readily effected by an ordinary crosscut-saw without chiseling or the use of special tools, and then to partially fill said kerf by a filling-piece, so as to have the kerf open along one edge, and then cutting out a piece ofthe front face of the solid end back, so as to expose to View the card that may be insorted endwise into the open-ended kerf. This greatly simplifies the manufacture of the backing and at the same time enables it es9,ov

to be made of one continuous piece of wood, presenting a perfectly smooth exposed face that will do no damage to the table upon which the box may rest. Furthermore, by inserting the filling as specified it gives additional strength to the end back at the point where the inside face is cut away to form the groove designed to receive the edge of the hinged cover.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is- 1. A file box or case provided with a hinged cover and having a stiff back at one end extended above the open portion or mouth of the box, said extended portion having a kerf formed in it from its upper edge downwardly, a portion of the body of the back below the top edge and in front of the kerf being removed to form an open recess, and a filling fitting in said kerf above the open recess in the back and terminating at such point as to leave the kerf open along the side edge of the back opposite the open recess, substantially as described.

2. A file box or case provided with a hinged cover and'havinga stiff back extended above the open portion or mouth of the box, said extended portion being cut away next to the mouth of the box to form a groove to receive one end of the cover, said back also being formed with a transverse slot to receive a label and having a portion of the back in front of said slot removed to form an open recess, the walls of which will protect a label in said slot, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALLACE SUMNER GRANGE.

Witnesses: l

WILLIAM L. STEPHENS, WILLTAM J. KEAST. 

